


Cat Black

by Bees_in_a_davidbowie_shirt



Category: Cats (1998), Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T. S. Eliot
Genre: F/F, F/M, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Magic, Multi, Mystery, Short Story, Siblings, Trauma, Twins, more tags to be added as I update, mostly demeters trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26973817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bees_in_a_davidbowie_shirt/pseuds/Bees_in_a_davidbowie_shirt
Summary: He was the cause and the solution of all their worries and wishes.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 15





	1. cat black i know shes back

**Author's Note:**

> heres my newest fic!
> 
> this isnt going to be terribly long either i think, but it all depends on how inspired I am. its kinda mistoffelees-centric? Kind of? But its mostly about what he does while the other cats dont realize hes doing it? thats not really a spoiler lol thats the premesis of the whole story
> 
> This is also inspired by a song by the name of 'cat black'. The song is sung by Marc bola. i would reccomend listening to both versions, as there are kinds with different lyrics.
> 
> Theres one version of the song that starts with 'cat black the wizard hat, spun in lore from dagamoor' and one that starts with 'cat black i know shes back been six weeks since she blew her stack'.
> 
> enjoy!

**Cat Black I Know She's Back**

**Been Six Weeks Since She Blew Her Stack**

"He is back," Chorused two voices. The voices were perfectly in sync with each other, not a beat off. If you weren't familiar, then you would think this was only one cat talking and be terrified when opening your eyes to see two cats.

Despite being familiar with both of the twins, Munkustrap was still a bit spooked by their voices. They had sent a shiver down his spine, and left an echo in his ears.

"Who is?" He asked.

"He is," One of the twins replies, as if it was obvious.

It was not obvious.

Who was he? Old Dueteronomy, come to yell at his son for not keeping the tribe in order? Macavity, come to cause even more chaos, even to take another cat? The Rum Tum Tugger, come to brag about another one of his adventures out and around the city?

Munkustrap sighed. The twins could read his mind; if they were going to tell him who was coming into the Junkyard, they would have by now. Whoever he was, must not be a threat to the tribe, seeing as the twins were simply sitting there.

"Fine, I guess I will go great him," Munkustrap muttered under his breath.

Nothing outside the den seemed out of place. The sun shone brightly; it was midday, which meant it was the middle of the cat's sleeping time. The cats of the Junkyard were mostly nocturnal, and daytime was an unusual time to be outside, unless visiting your humans.

Slowly but surely, as to not tread on anything loud and wake a kitten, Munkustrap started a patrol of the Junkyard, looking for whoever had apparently returned. Every now and then, he thought he saw someone in a corner, or thought he heard something, but did not dare jump after it. He would rather not get yelled at by Jennyanydots and Jellylorum for making such noise, especially at this time.

Munkustrap suddenly turned his head, thinking he had seen something off to the side, and caught a glimpse of glowing eyes behind a tree. Despite it being midday, everything around the eyes was black. The area of the tree was even shrouded in darkness, keeping Munkustrap from seeing who was there.

"Hello?" He called softly, curious. "Who's there?"

The eyes closed, and suddenly the darkness lifted, leaving no cat behind.

With yet another sigh, Munkustrap continued on, this time in the direction of the tree and past it.

Still nothing, but he kept going, hearing a small noise.

The further away from the Junkyard he got, the faster he ran, more and more certain that there was a tiny meow coming from somewhere, before finally skidding to a halt.

In front of him were a mother and a kitten. The mother looked exhausted, and the kitten was small, obviously malnourished.

"Hello," He said softly, a gentle smile on his face. "What's your name, Ma'am?"

The Queen turned her head, surprised at the sudden appearance of the other cat, and seemed to shoot backwards quickly.

"I- I'm sorry," She replies nervously, before taking a deep breath. While she was quite a great distance away from Munkustrap, she also looked less frightened when this far away, so Munkustrap didn't make any move to go closer to her.

"Im Demeter," She said quietly. "Who are you?"

Munkustrap bowed his head, and lowered his tail.

"Im Munkustrap," He informed her, "I am the Protector of the Jellicles and the next Jellicle Leader."

The Queen's large eyes looked up at him in wonder.

"O-oh! Well, thank you for coming to look for us, Munkustrap." She turned to her kitten. The tiny thing was playing with a blade of grass, looking happy. The one thing that stuck out to Munkustrap about the kitten was how small it was, and how it shivered, even as the sunlight pounded down onto the tom's fur.

"Come here," She said quietly, "Come introduce yourself, honey!"

The kit bounded over to her mother, looking suddenly shy.

"Im Sillabub!" She squeeked up at him.

Munkustrap smiled, laughing a bit.

"Well, Hello there, Sillabub! If you and Demeter are okay with it, I would like to take you back to where the Jellicle Tribe lives. You guys can warm up and get some good food." As he said this, he looked up at Demeter. She was tentatively smiling, nodding along, and ran a paw through her daughter's fur.

"Well, Silla? Should we go there?" She asked the tiny kitten.

The kitten's response was to jump up, away from her mother's grooming, and bounce up and down.

"Yes!" She squealed, "I want to go meet other cats! And I'm hungry!"

"Well, kit, everyone is sleeping right now, but you can play with the kits later," Munkustrap told her. "Now, you two should head off in that direction, and I will catch up with you in a minute. I just have to check on one thing."

The kitten bounded off through the trees and grass, not going far but still exploring. Her mother followed, but looked back every now and then, as if checking to make sure Munkustrap wasn't going to do anything to her or the kit.

Munkustrap turned, and scanned over the area one last time, before finally deciding to just leave it. He would find who the cat was eventually; right now, there were two other important cats to take care of. Besides, if it was Macavity, he would have already attacked.

The Junkyard was still quiet, and little Sillabub seemed to understand that jumping around like she had been before would not be a good idea.

Quietly, Munkustrap woke Jellylorum, knowing that Jennyanydots would be very angry if she was woken from her sleep, and explained the situation to her. The motherly cat quickly went into the back of the large den that was shared with the kits and Jennyanydots, and cleared out a space.

The den that Jellylorum and Jennyanydots shared was large, welcoming, and showed how motherly they were. Any kittens born into the tribe would sleep here with their mothers for the first few days, so that the two older Queens could make sure they were healthy and safe. The tribe also had a knack for finding orphaned kits, and the two were always happy to take them in.

Currently, a couple of the younger kittens who didn't have a mother were sleeping in a corner with Jennyanydots. Electra, Etcetera, and Pouncival all slept there.

In another corner, Bombalurina, who often helped the two older Queens to take care of kits, was curled up with a couple of them. Tumblebrutus and Victoria were nearly adults, but also did not have any parents in the tribe, so stayed there with Bombalurina most of the time.

Coricopat and Tantomile also slept in the den. Despite being young adults, they had decided to stay, and Munkustrap had only recently figured out it was because of how good they were at figuring out what was wrong with a kitten's health. That mind-reading came in handy.

Jellylorum was quietly talking to Demeter about something, and when she noticed the tom was still there, waved him out of the den. This was a private matter, her body language told him, so he left as quietly as possible.

There was a surprise waiting in his den, because of course he couldn't have a nice, quiet sleep like everyone else in the tribe.

Leaning just inside the entryway to the den was his own brother, Rum Tum Tugger. Munkustrap sighed, yet again, at the sight of him.

The tom is tall, with a large mane and wild hair. While his fur is put together nicely, his eyes show a different story; they are tired, with slight eyebags showing, but still bright and energetic. The young tom has some news for his brother.

"Why, hello dear brother," Purrs the curious tom, putting his arm around the other's shoulder. "Now, you might be wondering, why would I be over in your den, when I should be getting my beauty rest at someone else's den?"

Munkustrap responds by shoving the tom's arm off.

"Tugger, could you please get to the point already? I know we're both tired and want to go to sleep."

Tugger blinks in response.

"You know, you were supposed to say 'I don't know, dear brother, why aren't you in someone else's den?' and I would respond with, 'Trick question, I was in my den all night, and now we're going back there so I can show you something!' but you just had to go and ruin my line, didnt you?"

"Tugger, show me what's in your den then, Everlasting!"

The Rum Tum Tugger rarely uses his own den, preferring to go into the city and stay in the most unsavory places, but still manages to keep the den in pristine condition.

The Junkyard is a good place to have a den because of all the, well, junk that's piled all over.

Munkustrap sleeps in an old oven, which has sat in the Junkyard for so long that it's a miracle that it has not rusted apart yet.

Jenny, Jelly, and company sleep in the trunk of an old car, Asparagus, Skimbleshanks, and Gus Sr sleep in the front of the car. In the hood of the car, they all store food.

The Rum Tum Tugger lives in a well-worn Bureau Drawer. He loves to talk about it, bragging of how nice it is, and how warm it is, but Munkstrap knows that he has gotten stuck in the old thing multiple times. 'Well worn' is a bit of an understatement.

The brothers slip into the drawer from a hold underneath it, and reveal Tugger's large den. At first, Munkustrap sees nothing, but blinks and the figure on the bed comes into view.

A mostly black tuxedo cat lays passed out on Tuggers bed. He looks as if he had been thrown onto the bed, and is completely exhausted, not even stirring as Munkustrap walks closer.

"What is Quaxo doing in your den?" Munkustrap asks Tugger.

"Mr. Mistoffelees," He replies, "Just fell out of the ceiling suddenly. Landed right on my bed, waved at me, and passed out just as I was trying to go to sleep. Scared the Everlasting Cat out of me!"

Munkustrap frowns, but then remembers the twins' earlier statement. He is back.

"He is back? Yeah, he is!"

The gray tom jumps, mildly shocked, not even realizing that he had said that out loud.

"Well, don't go yelling now, Tugger. We can talk more in the morning, and I will tell Victoria that her brother is visiting."

The Rum Tum Tugger nods, and then says,

"Who's the lady that you brought back earlier? How did you find her?"

Tired, Munkustrap turns back to his brother.

"I was woken by the twins, and then I followed some glowing eyes to the edge of the Junkyard, where there was a Queen and a Queen-kit."

Smiling slightly, Tugger waves a paw.

"Good to know, dear brother! Hope you have a good night!"

Munkustrap exits the den, thinking, maybe I need to stop thinking of the worst things first.


	2. yeah shes fine, shes all mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Junkyard gets a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school is hard guess ill just cry and watch cats

**Yeah She's Fine, She's All Mine**

Everyone in the Junkyard had gotten used to Demeter very quickly. She was a sweetheart, a bit scared, but still sweet and kind to everyone. The kittens loved her, and Bombalurina had started to stick close to her.

On the topic of kittens was Demeter's own daughter, Sillabub. The small red kit happily bounced around with the other kittens in the tribe whenever her mother let her, and would cuddle up next to her mother and sometimes even next to Bombalurina when she became tired from all the play.

Tumblebrutus and Pouncival would play around with the tiny kit, gently tackling her and running extra-slow so that she could tag them when they played games. 

Victoria, Mistoffelees younger sister, could often be found teaching Sillabub how to dance. Or, at least,  _ trying _ to teach her. Sillabub was still young and easily became distracted from the dancing. 

Munkustrap, as usual, sat guard on top of the tire that lay in the middle of the junkyard. From atop the tire, he could see a majority of the cats as they danced, sang, ate, cuddled, knitted, and a number of other things. Another corner of the Junkyard was occupied by Alonzo, who was supposed to be keeping a watch on whatever Munkustrap couldn't see, but Munkustrap was very certain that the black-and-white tom was asleep. 

Another black-and-white tom emerged from a different corner of the Junkyard; Quaxo stretched for a second before slowly making his way over to where the gray tom was perched.

The magical cat had been back at the Junkyard for the same amount of time as Demeter; nearly a month. Generally, he was flitting in and out of the yard, only coming back to greet his sister and a few others before leaving.

If you asked Munkustrap, he would say that Quaxo was sticking around to see how Demeter and Sillabub were. He was slightly protective over his younger sister, so maybe he was worried that the newcomers would harm the white kitten?

Quaxo jumped up onto the large tire, and gave Munkustrap a nod.

“Quaxo,” Munkustrap started. “Did you sleep well?”

The tom nodded. “I did. I can't say the same for your brother, though. Apparently I’m a blanket hog and I ruin his beauty sleep.”

“You should really consider finding your own den,” said Munkustrap.

The other shrugged. “I'm probably going to head off in a few days, so I don't think I need my own den.”

Munkustrap blinked, surprised. “Where are you going?”

“Off. I have things to take care of, I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay here. It's a strange time, and there's places to be. Things to do.”

“...Oh.”

Despite the tuxedo cat never being around normally, it had been nice for him to be there. Quaxo was very good at entertaining the kittens, calming down his sister, helping out the Toms and Queens with the occasional task, and had been surprisingly good at lifting heavy objects. This was coming in great handy; the last time that Macavity had come for a ‘visit’ to the Junkyard, he had knocked over many things.

“Yeah, I have a job to do over in the Groove, and then Uncle Bustopher has been wanting some help with a few things. Earns good money,” Quaxo continued. Munkustrap didn't know if he could tell that the gray cat was confused, or if he was just elaborating because he could.

“Well, I hope you have a good time with your… Tasks.” Munkustrap told him, slightly tentative. He had no idea how such a small cat could be so useful. He was barely an adult, just as Munkustrap younger brother, yet seemed to be working twice as hard.

Quaxo stood, and turned away with a wave of his tail. He seemed to vanish into midair, although Munkustrap was very certain that he had just gone behind a nearby tree. At least, he assumed.

\---

The cat who would be the most helpful in Junkyard Tasks, after Quaxo and his amazing lifting powers, would be The Rum Tum Tugger. Munkustraps' younger brother was big. He was strong. And he  _ never _ put any of that to use!

Sure, Munkustrap loved his younger brother to death, but he just couldn't understand why he didn't help around more. What else would a strong cat like him do?

So, the next day, when some of the younger toms asked for some help moving a branch so they could build their den, Munkustrap marched off to Tuggers den.

The inside was just as it had been before, but a bit messier. Usually, Tugger is a neat and pristine cat, keeping his floor clear of everything and folding all his blankets on his bed every morning, right before grooming his mass of fur. Munkustrap would know, he lived with that cat up until last year, when he had finally grown old enough to get his own den.

On the bed, The Rum Tum Tugger sprawled on top of all the blankets, snoring loudly. On the floor, there were objects lying around; a few small balls, which Munkustrap was pretty certain were called marbles, a few childrens toys, and several packs of cards.

“Tugger?” Munkustrap called cautiously, not wanting to get slapped if his brother woke up too soon. “Tugger, could you please get up?”

The Rum Tum Tugger stirred, but didn't actually get up. He muttered something under his breath that  _ might _ have been ‘go away’, before rolling over to face away from Munkustrap.

With a sigh, the gray cat got closer to the bed and gave his brother a tentative shake. Tugger jolted up, surprised at the touch, but certainly not surprised to see who was attempting to wake him.

“Everlasting, Munk, I thought you would ignore me if I pretended to sleep!” He whined. “I need a really good catnap, especially after sharing with that damn blanket hog for so long.”

“Unfortunately for you,” Munkustrap said as he stepped over some of the marbles, “Your part of the Jellicle Tribe, which means you have to help us out sometimes instead of sleeping. Hurry up, you're helping with the heavy lifting.”

Tugger expertly strutted his way across the room.

“Fine, fine,” He grumbled.

Naturally, as soon as they slid out of the hole in the drawer set, a few kittens were there to greet them. Or, more like, they were there to greet Tugger.

Etcetera was up front and center, already jumping up and down. Her best friend, Electra, a tiny stray kitten that Jenny and Jelly had taken in a few months ago, stood close behind her. And, last but not least, Plato sat at the back, wide-eyed and excited. Of course, he also wasn't quite a kitten anymore; he was a bit older than Victoria, so it was strange to see him joining in. However, he carried the same enthusiasm as the other two fanclub members did.

“Hi Tugger!!” Squealed Etcetera, jumping up and down. She followed Tugger and Munkustrap very closely, which Munkustrap found to be a mix of adorable, annoying, and mildly terrifying.

Plato had pushed past poor Electra, and was right next to Etcetera, asking if Tugger would need any help with anything, or if the two could hang out; he basically just wanted the others attention.

Electra hung back, not jumping up and squealing like the others, but you could see enthusiasm on her face. A little.

Finally, they reached the area where Alonzo and Tumblebrutus were waiting, next to the large branch.

Alonzo sighed at the sight that Munkustrap had dragged along.

“Oh, great!” He complained, not even caring that the cat he was talking about could hear. “You just had to bring along Mr Beauty Sleep and his fanclub, didnt you?”

Tugger, who could obviously hear him, put a not-so-comforting paw on the black-and-white toms shoulder. 

“Don't worry about it, ‘lonzo. We all know you're just jealous that every Queen and Tom you have a crush on doesn't like you back,” He purred.

“Boys, boys!” Shouted Tumblebrutus, who just looked tired. All that poor cat wanted was a den to take a nice nap in without kittens around. “Please, just come help?”

Tugger took one end, and Munkustrap took the other, while Tumblebrutus, Alonzo, and even Plato went to the center of the branch. Plato was a big cat, especially for his age, and the extra help sure was useful.

“On the count of three,” Called Munkustrap once they were all in position and the tiny kits were out of the way. “ _ One, two… THREE!” _

All of them  _ heaved _ the branch up and once, and began to cautiously back away from where the beginnings of a den could be seen. Munkustrap could understand why the two toms wanted this spot; it would be easy to finish up a nice large space for the two.

They set the branch down a safe distance away, and Alonzo and Tumblebrutus turned to observe the place, proud and happy.

“I think we should add some rocks over in that area, and then put a board over it. Like a roof! So one of us can sleep there, and the other in the main part?” Tumblebrutus suggested.

“ _ I  _ think that I am going to head back to  _ my _ den, and get cleaned up.” Tugger also suggested, a bit more sarcastically, before turning away and starting to leave.

Before the large cat could get much farther, a crash was heard from up in the woods behind where the two tom's den would be. Branches, leaves, rocks, and other debris came crashing down, followed closely by two calico cats. The young calicos giggled and pushed at each other, stumbling over the objects and running, before turning back.

“Sorry! We were just told to come over here, so you can blame that mysterious cat who told us we would be safe. They never told us which way to go!” Giggled one of them. 

“Yeah, we were just told to head in this direction and look for a Junkyard! I guess we found it!” The other added. Laughing, they both ran off.

  
  



	3. Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i live bithc!!!
> 
> also clarification on mistos name bcuz i feel like i might b confusing some; tugger knows that mistos magic is much more powerful than the other cats suspect, and that his second name is mr mistoffelees. misto told him that he could tell others if he wants, so he just always calls him mistoffelees but he never actually mentioned that mistoffelees is the others second name because hes just Like That. so munkustrap and most of the others in the junkyard keep calling him quaxo, and tugger keeps calling him mistoffelees, and no one knows why. just a funny little thing i have. i also think thats why tugger jumps in to sing mistos song; he knows his second/stage name and wants to call him mistoffelees for Magical Purposes!

**Again, Cat Black, Shes My Honey**

**All She Wants To Do Is Spend My Money**

**Shes A Real Gone Chick and I Love Her So**

**Knocks Me Out When She Does The Rock ‘N’ Roll**

Sillabub had quickly become a staple to the Junkyard. Everyone loved the tiny kit, and if anyone hurt her, there would be at least ten other cats there to defend her within a second.

Her mother was still very protective of her, but occasionally let her off the close leash to go and hang around with some of the older cats that the golden queen trusted.

Now, who would this sweet kitten want to go to to hang out? Why, none other than the Junkyard dequelents, self proclaimed Cool Cats, with fanclubs and amazing outfits and human homes. Syllabub followed Bombalurina and The Rum Tum Tugger around with a child-like fascination and admiration.

Before actually approaching them, she would sit from a distance, coping their moves and fixing up her hair in an attempt to look up to the young adult cats.

Finally, Demeter herself had approached the two friends one day. The golden Queen had become close to Bombalurina, but not as much Tugger, and her kitten had still not spoken to them yet, shy with admiration.

Demeter had explained to the two that Sillabub greatly admired them, and was copying their every move, good and bad. The young mother did not want her daughter to do that!

Afterwards, the flamboyant pair had gone out of their ways to find the kit, bring her with them, and make sure that everything they did was age-appropriate. At some point over the past few days, Tugger had even acquired a coller with large spikes on it. It was slightly adjustable, but the spikes were long. Tugger claimed they wernt dangerous, and that the kitten would be safe, but Demeter still made her kit take it off once they returned to the nursery. She would sadly slip it over her head every night, and lay it gently in a corner before curling up with her mother.

At first, when Munkustrap had noticed the innocent kitten pal-ing around with Tugger, he had been concerned, knowing how protective Demeter could be. But she had reassured him that Bombalurina was always there(which didn't reassure the tabby at all, he knew that Bombalurina and Tugger got in a lot of trouble together), and she apparently trusted the pair around her kitten, so he didn't intervene.

Today, Munkustrap gently padded around Victoria and a few others as they danced peacefully, smiling a bit. Victoria was a wonderful dancer, and she loved to show it. Her love for dance was infectious, as she was not only a good teacher, but an overall pleasant cat to be around.

Her soft music faded into the background as he walked further away from her little dancing expedition. 

Munkustrap continued walking. The only sounds around him were the sounds of nature; birds chirped, branches rattled, and a loud scream pierced through the air.

_ Wait. _

His paws pounded through the bushes, many thorns getting stuck in his thick fur, but the tabby could care less at the moment. He paused for a second as the scream stopped, but then it started again, and he turned towards where it seemed the sound was now coming from.

However, once again, it stopped very suddenly and started up again in the opposite direction. Munkustrap turned, confused and concerned, starting to pad off in that area. Just as before, it stopped almost as soon as he had started moving and started up again in the opposite direction.

This time, the gray cat stood still, only moving his ears to try and tell what was happening.

As the screaming stopped all together, Munkustrap heard a different noise filtering through; giggling.

With a sigh, the tired cat sat down.

“Hello? I do not know your names. Who is there?” He meows loudly.

The giggling grew.

It was coming from two different directions, just like the screaming had been. And, while the screaming had been loud and obnoxious, the giggling was quieter, making it easier to tell how far away it was.

It was close, and high up in the trees.

With careful eyes and silent paws, Munkustrap took a light step to the right, searching the above area to see what could be spotted.

Sure enough, gripping tightly onto a thin branch, sat a familiar looking calico cat. The cat's tail lashed back and forth as the laughing increased, and suddenly, from behind Munkustrap, there was a crash.

He whipped around, and was greeted by another familiar calico cat, this time sprawled in a pile of leaves. This cat sat here, shocked, looking at his paws with a mix of emotions, including but not limited to what seemed to be confusion, anger, and betrayal.

The laughing from up the tree simply increased, and the cat on the ground sighed.

“Aw, Teazer, just get down here already! You're embarrassing me!” Shouted the calico.

“But Jerrie,” Whined the one from up the tree, “It's so funny! You shoulda seen your face when you hit the ground!”

However, despite the protests from the cat up the tree, they started to climb down.

Now with them closer to each other, and not running away like they had been when they had crashed into Tumblebrutus and Alonzo's den, Munkustrap could observe them better.

Both were calicos, obviously, and nearly identical, down to the shit-eating grins on their faces. Their fur patterns were of the same colors, and their ears seemed to tilt towards different sounds of the forest in unison.

“So, Mister Gov’na, how can we help you today, sir?” Asked one. Maybe the one on the right, that had fallen out of the tree.

“Yeah,” Said what he thought might be the other cat. “You're lookin’ at us all funny! Are you angry at us, sir?”

Their accents were identical as well; words stumbled out of their mouths, jumbling together to form words that couldn't have been real but still made sense when they said it. It was fitting. If some other cat spoke like that, Munkustrap would have had no idea what they were saying.

Munkustrap tilted his head.

“Well, maybe you two kittens can help me out here by telling me what your names are,” He said, pushing just enough authority into his voice.

Apparently, this had been a mistake, for his statement had simply brought out giggles.

“Kittens!” Gasped one of them.

“Listen, we know that you're graying and old,” The other added, “But we are definitely not kittens!”

Munkustrap threw out his paws, exasperated.

“Fine! At least tell me who you are and where you come from, then!”

“Oh, that's simple!” One shouted, excited.

“Im Mungojerrie,” Said the other, “That there is Rumpleteazer!” 

Without warning, Mungojerrie was pushed out of the way slightly.

“Also!” Shouted Rumpleteazer as she wrestled her way closer to Munkustrap, “ _ I’m _ older than  _ him _ !”

Munkustrap nodded, his mouth drawn in a thin line.

“I’m sure you are, kid.” He said with a sigh. “I guess I’ll ask you, since you're older, but where did you two come from? Why are you here?”

“Well, Gov’na,” Said the one named Mungojerrie, finally able to push his twin out of the way. “When two cats love each other very much-”

“ _ No!” _

_ - _

Getting the two cats to come back to the  _ actual _ Junkyard, and not stay out in the surrounding trees, had been relatively simple. All he had to do was offer them food, actually, and they had bolted ahead of him, only stopping to wait for him to get close enough to shout which direction they needed to go in.

Getting them to  _ stay _ in the Junkyard was not as simple.

On the first night there, Munkustrap had asked Jennyanydots and Jellylorum if the twins could stay in the Nursery, just for that night.

They had been gone by morning, found at the base of a tree on the outskirts of the Junkyard before anyone in the nursery had been able to wake up.

Every morning after that, Munkustrap would find the twins in a different place, never the same place twice, and always far away from where they had started the night before.

While it was unfortunate that he was unable to reign them into a den, it was fortunate that the other cats in the Junkyard actually enjoyed the twins' chaotic company.

Victoria attempted to teach Rumpleteazer to dance. The Rum Tum Tugger had taught them how to get through the sewage bars. Electra had shown Mungojerrie how the trashy record player worked. Alonzo had scolded everyone multiple times. 

Demeter had somehow managed to be avoided by the two entirely. When Munkustrap had asked what she thought of the twins, during one of their afternoon walks, she had shrugged.

“I haven't really talked to them,” She informed him. “The most I saw was when you showed up once with them, and asked Jenny and Jelly if they could sleep in the Nursery. I was in the corner, and it was dark, and I didnt see them that well, and I don't think they saw me.”

The gray cat might not know Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer well, but he did seem to understand that that was not how the two usually acted. They had spoken to everyone else in the Junkyard at least once.

On the topic of speaking to everyone once, they still refused to tell Munkustrap where they were from.

Victoria once stated that Rumpleteazer claimed she had not been allowed music in her old home. The Rum Tum Tugger said they had only been allowed out at certain hours, and if they didnt come back within a certain amount of time, they would be in trouble. Electra had said that Mungojerrie was so amazed by the record player, she wouldn't be surprised if he had never been inside a human house before. Alonzo said the two always shook when he got loud when he was angry at them for ruining something.

So, Munkustrap decided not to bother them on the topic. Just like Demeter and Sillabub, the two had come here and expected to be safe, so he would let them be safe here. 

-

Of course, as soon as something big happens in the Junkyard, Quaxo just  _ has _ to show up.

This time, Munkustrap ran straight into him while he was trying to enter his own den for the night. Alonzo had finally taken a patrol, so the tired gray cat could get some sleep. As he was entering, Quaxo walked out, and was knocked over by the taller cat.

It took a second for Munkustrap to come to the realization that he had knocked someone over. He hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days, and had just stood there for a full minute, staring at the tom-cat as he sprawled on the floor before realizing what had happened.

“ _ Oh, everlasting-  _ Quaxo! I’m sorry, I did not notice you there!” He said, sticking out a paw to help the other stand up.

Quaxo shrugged. “It's fine. I just wanted to let you know that I’m back at the Junkyard.”

“What's it for this time?” Munkustrap questioned, rubbing his head. “Just checking on things again?”

The tuxedo tom shrugged. 

“Mostly. I also just miss everyone.”

“Completely understandable,” Munkustrap replied with a smile. “The Jellicles are your family, no matter how long you're away for.”

Quaxo looked around for a second, then turned back to the older tom. 

“How are those twins doing? The new ones?” Then, as if rushing to continue, he added, “Tugger told me about them when I first dropped it. Said they cause trouble; hopefully not too much.”

Munkustrap smiled, warily.

“Well, tell Tugger that they cause just about as much trouble as he did when he was a kit. Those two are never in the same place twice in one day, I have no idea how they manage it.”

“Do you know anything about them?”

“Not really. Their names are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, I can barely tell them apart, and Rumpleteazer claims to be older, but that's all they have told me.”

Quaxo nodded slowly, and turned to leave before suddenly turning back.

“I was hoping to talk to them tomorrow. Where would I be able to find them in the morning?” He asked.

Munkustrap’s laugh was louder this time.

“That's a question that I do not have the answer to, kit!” He said, before dropping the smile and going quiet. “They seem to have gotten close to some of the younger cats, so I would suggest asking them. You know, Electra and the lot. Maybe even ask Tugger, after he has gotten his beauty sleep, of course. On the topic of sleep, the nursery has cleared out a little bit, if you need to rest in there.”

“It's fine, Munkustrap,” Quaxo replied. “I will ask in the morning, once  _ everyone, including you,  _ has gotten a good night's rest. Tugger won't mind me sleeping in his den, I don't want to disturb Jenny and Jelly and their lot.”

With final nods to each other, both toms went their separate ways, ready to get some rest.

  
  
  



	4. Spun In Lore From Dagamoor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter, telling about various cats meetings with the twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i write what i want i write when i want i sleep and eat dried mangos when im not sleeping or writing :D

The Calico twins were an interesting pair. Where Coricopat and Tantomile were mysterious and all-knowing, gracefully appearing where they were always needed, never surprised by anything because, well, they always seemed to know what was going to happen at any time, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie were the opposite. The two stumbled through life, tripping and falling until they somehow ended up in places where they could have some fun.

One day, close to when the twins had first found the Junkyard but far enough in that they were comfortable talking to the other cats there, Rumpleteazer stumbled upon a beautiful white Queen. She was humming to herself, while moving very gracefully and rhythmically. 

“Wow!” Rumpleteazer exclaimed in her quiet voice. Of course, Rumpleteazer wasn't exactly the quietest cat around, so the white cat heard her meow of excitement, and paused in her dancing.

The two had soon introduced themselves, and within a few days, had started regularly meeting up, chatting, and of course, dancing.

The white cat was named Victoria, and Rumpleteazer was very certain she was the most beautiful Queen to ever exist. She was pure white, with glossy blue eyes, and would tilt her head to the side whenever Rumpleteazer spoke. She liked to dance alone, but said that Rumpleteazers company was always welcome, which had made the Calico Queen blush through her fur.

One day, the two had arrived at their usual dancing spot to find a large, human-made contraption. While Rumpleteazer sniffed, clawed, and growled at it, Victoria had shuffled her paws through some of the nearby junk before pulling out a flat disc.

“This is what the humans call a  _ record, _ ” Victoria informed the other girl. “They put it on that fancy contraption you have, and then it makes noise! My human has one and it sounds beautiful!”

Carefully, the two placed the disc on top of the fancy box, and Victoria worked her little technological magic, and the disc started spinning, making slow but beautiful noise.

Victoria smiled at Rumpleteazer. 

“My humans call this  _ music, _ and they dance with each-other when they listen to it.”

Rumpleteazer watched the disc spin round and round, eyes wide.

“We were  _ never _ allowed anything like this,” She said in wonder. “He always told us that being quiet was the best thing to do. Otherwise, we get in trouble.”

“Who told you that?” Victoria asked, confused.

“Oh, the cat me n’ Jerrie lived with,” she replied with a shrug. “Hey, you should show me how to dance! Like your humans do!”

Victoria carefully took the others paws in hers, and they swayed gently.

“I can show you how to work the records,” Victoria offered. “So you can hear the music a lot!”

“I would love that!” Rumpleteazer meowed in reply, a smile wide on her face. Victoria smiled right back at her, before pulling her over to show her how to make the music.

\----

When The Rum Tum Tugger wants to meet someone new, or make friends with someone, then he brings them on a fun adventure. Each time, it is new, exciting, and always ends in trouble, but he's kept some good friends from doing it. 

When they were kittens, Tugger and Bombalurina had snuck out and gone fishing by the water. The trip ended with them both falling in, and then Tugger had to swim them both to the shore, and then they had both trudged back to the Junkyard and gotten a scolding from Jennyanydots for going out when they were so young.

When he was nearly an adult, Mistoffelees, then called Quaxo, had arrived with his sister. It took nearly two weeks for The Rum Tum Tugger to convince the tuxedo cat to explore some buildings with him, and that was when the other had started to reveal his magic to him. The two had had many such adventures since then, but that first night had ended with Tugger stuck in a pipe because of his large mane. Even with magic, the smaller cat had not been able to get him out, and Munkustrap had to come and push from behind. 

That night, Quaxo had tried to explain his magic to Munkustrap, and that his real name was Mr. Mistoffelees, but Munkustrap had not really understood. 

Now, there were two new cats, and that meant that Tugger just  _ had _ to take them on an adventure. He was planning it already; there was a fish store that sometimes left out fish by accident overnight, as the closers got lazy, so he could take them there to get a bellyfull. It would be fun!

The first challenge of this adventure, however, was finding the two.

Whenever they came crashing through the Junkyard, Tugger just  _ happened _ to be finishing up his beauty sleep, or meticulously cleaning and styling his mane, and there was no way he could abandon either of those things. They were important, okay!!

Unfortunately, whenever Tugger was up and roaming, he could never find the two together. One of them was always off doing something else while the other did their own thing.

So, Tugger decided to sacrifice some of his sacred fanclub time to find the new twins.

After sneaking out the ‘back door’ of his drawer to avoid the kittens, he entered the surrounding woods, where he had often fleetingly seen the two cats in the evening. It was getting pretty close to night, so they might be out here already.

Sure enough, just a few steps into the trees, Tugger heard giggling, and it didn't sound like any of the kittens from his fanclub.

“Hey! New cats!” The Rum Tum Tugger called out, and before he knew it, there were two cats sitting in front of him as he explained the plan.

“Are you sure it's safe to go out there this late?” The one called Mungojerrie asked.

“Of course it is! I do it all the time!” Tugger replied with a wave of a paw.

“How long will we be out there? Are we going to get in trouble?” Rumpleteazer asked.

“Oh, I don't know how long it will take, but Munk won't mind. He knows I’m flighty like this, I've been away from the Junkyard for days and he never yells at me.”

Rumpleteazer tilted her head to the side, something Tugger was pretty sure she had picked up from Victoria.

“But doesnt everyone in the Junkyard need to check in with him, to make sure it's safe to leave, and so he knows what's happening? That's what we've been doing.”

Tugger simply shrugged. “I mean, if you want to keep doing that then you can, but you don't have to.”

“Hey, we see you going over to him alot to talk. What are you doing with him?” Mungojerrie asked in confusion.

“Munks my brother,” Tugger replied with a shrug. “I'm legally obliged to annoy him every few hours, it's the sibling rule. Now, do you guys want some tasty fish, or not?”

The two looked at each other, looked back at The Rum Tum Tugger, and nodded in unison.

\---

Walking down the streets, the Calico Twins chatted away about anything and everything, including but not limited to,  _ ‘Victoria taught me how to dance,’ ‘I knocked over a really big box and a mouse came out so I ate it,’ ‘When we were little queen-kits we lived on the streets,’ ‘We have never been allowed out this late at night without permission,’ ‘I threw up a rat yesterday so it must have been bad,’ ‘What is a piano and how does it work,’ ‘Why is Jemima so small,’ ‘Are you dating Bombalurina,’ ‘Who is Mistoffelees and why Isn't he in the Junkyard…’  _ The snippets that Tuggers tired ears caught ranged from questionable, to funny, to worrying.

Finally, they reached the street that Tugger knew the fish-shop was on, and he turned back to the twins to give them instructions, only to find them once again distracted.

Their gaze had been caught by a beautiful, shiny necklace. It was pearly white and obviously expensive.

Tugger smiled at the sight of them admiring it. It was a necklace that only the likes of Victoria Groove residents would wear. Tugger's smile suddenly widened.

He put a paw on their shoulders.

“Hey, new plan,” He purred with a smirk. “We are going to acquire some… accessories.”

\----

While breaking into the Jewelry Shop itself would have been fun, it definitely wasn't ideal. Tugger had seen humans steal stuff before, and even places that weren't as fancy as Jewelry Shops would make loud noises if people entered, unwelcome, when it was dark.

Luckily, there were a few houses in Victoria Groove that Tugger was certain he had seen with fancy necklaces. Those would  _ certainly  _ be much easier to break into.

Victoria Groove houses were big. They were fancy. And most of the residents did not think they would get broken into, so windows were constantly left open and doors were sometimes left cracked to let the family pets roam before they returned. I mean, no idiotic burgler would break into houses owned by some of the richest people in the city, they obviously had millions of security cameras and state-of-the-art alarms! Only a cat could get in!

So that's exactly what happened.

The three cats had wandered around outside of several noisy houses before finding a quiet one with an open window. The window led to a hallway, and the three had padded down on all fours until they found an open door.

Together, they pushed the door, and found themselves in a room filled with beautiful, beautiful items.

Scarves and necklaces and bracelets galore! They were in every color of the rainbow, most sizes imaginable, and any material you could think of.

While Mungojerrie took a dive into a pile of colorful scarves, Tugger went and tried bracelets on around his neck, as if they were collars.

Meanwhile, Rumpleteazer had been surprisingly quiet as she shuffled through a box with little bits of simple jewelry, before pulling a cheaper version of the pretty pearl necklace that we had seen before around her neck and smiling at herself.

There was a clang from the other side of the room as Mungojerrie dumped over a bucket of tiny, sparkly jewels with pointy needles on the back. The three laughed after getting over the shock of the sudden clang, and would have gone back to looking at everything if Tugger hadn't heard the  _ thump thump thump  _ of footsteps in the hallway.

“Guys!” He whispered loudly, “We gotta get out of here!”

Mungojerrie was the first one at the window, but it was stuck, not opening, so Rumpleteazer started to make her way to hide under the dresser in the corner when Tugger stopped them.

“What if we just run out the door when it opens?” He suggested.

So, in the next ten seconds, the three had taken off, leaving a trail in their wake as they jumped out the hallway window while a man ran after them, screaming while waving a stick high in the air. The window closed behind them, narrowly missing Mungojerrie’s tail.

\---

As it turns out, Munkustrap was not on patrol that night. So, as the three re-entered the Junkyard, laughing and talking to themselves, they were not met by the Disappointing Munk glare, but by the Angry Alonzo glare.

Alonzo took his job as second in command very seriously. He was around Tuggers age, so his scoldings never did much more than make the fluffy tom laugh, and Tugger figured that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer couldn't have been that much younger than him, so it would all be fine. Who would take a scolding from the cat that called himself ‘slink master’ for a full year, anyways?

Unfortunately, this did not go as Tugger thought, and while he stood and rolled his eyes as Alonzo raged at them, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer actually looked quite scared, and it was pretty easy to pick up on. Their tails were fluffed out and straight, eyes wide, and they stood close together and quiet.

So, Tugger stepped in, putting a paw in front of the twins and purring quietly at Alonzo,

“Why don't you go and get Munkustrap? He can handle this a bit better. You're going to wake up the whole Junkyard, and you know how Jenny is when she gets woken.”

Alonzo took a deep breath, before marching off while grumbling to himself about how  _ I can be responsible! I'm second in command! Munkustrap chose me for this job, he knows I can handle it!! _

The Rum Tum Tugger turned back to the other two.

“It's fine, Alonzo just gets worked up very easily. But don't worry, I can tell you some of his very incriminating secrets. Once you know them, it's easy to get him to take your patrol shifts!”

Mungojerrie shook his head.

“Is Munkustrap going to yell at us?”

“Nah,” Tugger replied. “Poor guy never gets any sleep, he's gonna say ‘ _ I’ll take care of it tomorrow,’  _ and forget all about it. Not that he would be mad in the first place, really.”

Just as predicted, Alonzo came back, huffing to himself, and told the three to go.

The next morning, Tugger found the twins in the woods and told them all about Alonzo, how he had called himself the  _ Slink Master _ for so long, how he had once mistaken Exotica for Cassandra, and how he tried to suck up to Munkustrap because of the large crush he had on the older tom. 

Rumpleteazer had kept the necklace that she had been trying on, and Mungojerrie had apparently enjoyed the outing, so he left to go find his fanclub later with the promise to go have more adventures with the two sometimes soon.

  
  



End file.
